


Like Always

by missingparentheses



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied Masturbation, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 19:37:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6342322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missingparentheses/pseuds/missingparentheses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Link has avoided the "shipping" faction of the Mythical Beasts, considering the whole thing inconsequential and unhelpful. But when Rhett suggests they make a sketch making fun of the concept, Link finds it might have opened Pandora's Box.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So many thanks for the unspeakably kind things you guys have said in the comments so far! I am beyond flattered. This was my first foray into fanfic, honestly my first completed story of any kind. I've always pipe-dreamed of writing a book someday and hope to do so if/when I come up with some characters I love as much as these guys or any other characters I've fallen in love with over the years but didn't create for myself. Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts!

_This is ridiculous, man. Don't do it. It's messing with your head. Resist!_

Leaning against the desk on his elbows, he shoved his hands under his glasses, rubbing his eyes hard.

_It's just for fun. You know it's not real. It's just for a laugh._

_Don't lie to yourself! It's messing with your head!_

He filled his lungs with air, holding it in till it burned, his hands moving in a dream-like, fluid motion to the keyboard, having typed in the address and loaded the page before he gave his lungs relief in a forced, exhaled rush.


	2. Pandora's Box

**GMM #720 : "7 Unbelievable Sunburns" (We Ship Ourselves)**

 

"I've got an idea," Rhett said, "and you're going to think I'm crazy."

"I already know you're crazy, man," Link retorted without looking up from his laptop.

"No really, listen to this. We're gonna ship ourselves."

Link stopped typing, his eyebrows raised high for a pause, then furrowing inward. He turned toward his friend with an incredulous smile. "Are you kidding me??"

Rhett laughed. "No, man, listen. If the beasts are going to keep trying to pretend we're in love, we'll throw them a curveball. Make them think just for a second that they're right. And then...we ship ourselves in a box."

Link laughed out loud. "Okay, that is funny. Keep talking."

\---

The next day, Link slumped over his coffee. As the caffeine sizzled in his synapses, his foggy mind began to slowly clear, filling in the details of the previous night's events. He'd chuckled as he'd explained the sketch idea to Christy, and she'd smiled back tolerantly. "We thought maybe we could use Lily and Lincoln in part of it," he'd said. "Maybe they'd shove the box into traffic or throw sparklers at it or something. I don't know. Something perilous."

"Yeah, that sounds funny, Link." she'd said a little wistfully.

His smile faded. "What? You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

She sighed, pausing to choose her words carefully. "Do you ever wonder...do you ever think about what the fans say?"

Link was taken aback. "Are you saying you do?"

"Link, listen to me, baby. I love you. And I know you love me. Rhett has always been a part of your life, and I love him too, like my own brother. I just can't help but wonder if it's better to leave well enough alone. Like Pandora's Box, you know? Y'all have got a great thing going."

"We do! Christy, we're not stupid. It's not like we haven't known this stuff is out there. What's the harm in acknowledging it, even as a joke? Maybe it will take the power of it away if we show them we're not afraid to joke about it, that we know what they're saying and it's not changing anything."

She pursed her lips then sighed again. "Alright. I'm sure you're right. If y'all are comfortable with it then I'm sure it's fine. And if the kids want to be in it, that's fine with me too. I trust you."

"Thank you, Baby Girl," he'd said as he angled his head down for a smooch.

He had lied in bed for a long time that night, staring into the dark. Why, now, was he letting this get in his head? He'd always known it was out there. It had just always been easier to pretend it wasn't. Now, a simple pitch had willed it into existence, the acknowledgement of the weirdness that didn't need to be, had never been. He had deliberately avoided it, the shippers on the fringe of the Mythical Beastdom, but they were becoming a vocal fringe if the comments were any indication. And he knew they had more to say than what they ventured in the comment section. What else did they say? Where do they go with this...this thing?

Boop-boo-de-boop-boop. Research.

It was all downhill from there.

Rhett strolled into the studio's kitchenette, breaking Link out of his state of abstraction with a startled jolt, almost spilling the coffee from his black-and-orange mug. "What's up, buddy? You awake?"

"Ha ha. Barely."

"Well, snap out of it, Sleeping Beauty, because the people need us!" Rhett bellowed as he walked toward the set, finger jabbing into the air above his head.

Link rolled his eyes as he stood to follow, shoving his thoughts back into the crevices of his mind where he wouldn't be able to find them again. Never again.


	3. The Almost-Kiss

**GMM #850 : "Spiked Punch Challenge" (First Date Farts)**

 

Time was on Link's side. He'd managed to stay away from the comments after they had "shipped themselves", and as the months went by he'd found it easier to think of the issue once again as nothing he needed to worry about. Certainly nothing real. And when the writers had pitched the "First Date Farts" sketch in response to a fan's question, he'd laughed along with Rhett. Link was no stranger to dressing as a woman for the sake of comedy, nor was it the first time they'd play-acted as a couple. No sweat.

He just hadn't thought much about the "almost kiss" until filming began. Maybe he didn't want to psych himself out and end up looking like an idiot like he had after the plexiglass kiss in the "News Musical: Wedding Fail" episode years earlier. He didn't think he'd ever live that reaction down. So now was the time to man up and not be affected by pretending to kiss his best friend.

Link was glad he wasn't the only one with the giggles. So much for manning up. It didn't matter that the fart sounds would be added later in post -- Rhett's facial expressions and the effort it took to keep a straight face kept sending them both over the edge. And if they made it through Rhett's farts, they broke during the pregnant pause after Link's. And if they made it through the pause, well, the approach as they reached for each other...

One of the hardest parts was knowing exactly where to stop. They didn't want to get too close and actually kiss, but they had to get close enough that the viewers would think it was really going to happen before the camera cut away at the last second. If he was honest, Link knew he was the one creating most of the problem. For whatever reason, Rhett rarely seemed overly concerned with the prospect of getting intimately close to Link. He seemed to take it in stride without letting it get in his head. Link watched Rhett come in for the fake-kiss, take after take, and marveled how even in this he could keep his cool, just like always. Link was getting noticeably more rattled and giggly with each take, though, and Rhett asked the crew if they could take a break.

"Okay, man, we gotta refocus and figure this out," Rhett said when the crew had moved off to give them some space. "What do you need?"

Link shook his head. "I'm sorry, man, I don't know what's wrong with me. I've just got the giggles today."

"It's alright," Rhett said, "I'm doing it too. Let's talk it through. You seem to be struggling with the end; I think you're getting hung up on me." Link felt his heart lurch until Rhett continued. "Maybe it would be better if you imagined I was someone you would actually want to kiss. Or just focus more on getting into character, like you're just some hot chick on a date with this hot guy," Rhett smirked, "and forget you're you and I'm me. Okay?"

Link forced out a quick puff of air and shook his head, cleansing the mental palate. "Okay, man, I can do this. Sorry for being weird."

Rhett closed his hand over Link's bared shoulder. "Don't worry about it, brother! Do you want to practice a few times without the cameras running?"

"Sure, yeah, okay. Let's start after my fart." Link started to grin again but quickly sobered up. _I'm not Link,_ he thought. _I'm a girl on a date with a cute guy in a beanie. His name is...Ron, or...Don, or..._

Rhett interrupted Link's internal coaching, beginning his line. "Did you just--"

Link shook his head. "Sorry, I wasn't ready. Start again."

"Okay." Rhett paused for a beat, switching back into character. "Did you just--"

"--fart?" Link jumped in, all breathy romance. "Yes."

_Hold...hold...look in Rhett's eyes...no, Don's eyes...deeper...deeper..._

Rhett's eyes sparkled as he ended the pause and breathed, "Yes!" Link reached for him with fluid determination, grabbed his lapel, refusing to shrink back.

 _You're not Link. You want him. Don't stop._ It wasn't until their noses bumped together that he put on the brakes, shutting his eyes and feeling Rhett's breath across his lips for a fraction of a moment. "Again."

They ran the scene a second and third time, a fourth, a fifth. With each pause, Link found himself falling deeper into his character. _You want him. He wants you. Don't stop._ The last time through he had to catch himself, throwing on the emergency brake before he went too far. Rhett, as always, seemed unfazed. Link's hand was still on Rhett's lapel from the last run, his face an inch away. Link backed off as much as he could bear, still caught up in the moment, trying to come back to himself enough to keep his cool without completely losing his momentum before the cameras were back on them. "I'm ready. Let's do this."


	4. Rhink

That night, after Christy was asleep, Link found himself again in front of the computer, mentally at war. He loved his wife. God, how he loved his wife. He loved their life together, their beautiful children, living together in this beautiful part of the country, rippling with opportunities as brilliant as the west coast sunset off the sparkling Pacific. He was living the dream. He never would have guessed he would be here, living this unbelievable life, back when he was just an unknown southern boy heading toward an unremarkable career in engineering. Yet here he was. And it was because of Rhett.

It's not like Rhett was the source of all the good in Link's life. His family, that was his. And he and Rhett, they were a team, and Rhett wouldn't be the same without his partner-in-internetainment anymore than Link would. But without their partnership he'd still be in North Carolina, living the monotony of the nine-to-five rat race. Rhett gave his life spark. How many people got to make a living goofing off with their lifelong best friend?

_This isn't helping,_ Link interrupted his own train of thought. _You were thinking about how much you love your wife._

He looked down at the keyboard. _Get your hands busy,_ he thought. His mind flashed hot. _No, no, not like that. Type in something safe. Anything._ He opened YouTube, stared for a moment, decided to check up on his fellow YouTubers. Hannah Hart. Grace Helbig. Rosanna Pansino. Friends. Safe. Then of their own volition, his fingers typed that made-up word: Rhink.

He clicked on a video. "Why do the fans do this?" he whispered in the dimmed light of the home office. "Why do they want to make something out of nothing?" _And why do I keep watching it, like a car wreck, gruesome yet fascinating?_ One by one he watched the fan-made videos, montages of seemingly loaded scenes from GMM and from Rhett's and his other videos sweeping by under emotionally-charged songs of longing, fueling the impression. He felt the ache begin to grow. He wanted to run. And he wanted to feed the flame.

With a sigh of resignation, he opened Google. "Rhink fanfiction".

_I hate this stuff!_ he thought, the growing ache mingling with anger. He hated the way it made him feel like he could hide nothing. That the slightest twitch of emotion that crossed his face on GMM would bloom into a torrid fan-story, that every friendly or even comical touch between his best friend and himself would be translated by thousands into passionate angst and repressed love. He hated that he couldn't stop reading the stories, the stories that sought to answer questions that until recently he hadn't dared to ask even himself. And most of all, he hated the arousal that bloomed raw and deep as he read, words igniting images in his mind he'd run from all his life, never dared to let unfold even in daydreams. He'd laughed off the night dreams of Rhett, the ones that ignited this same ache, this damnable arousal, blaming them on the chaos of the subconscious and the random firing of synapses, or maybe something he'd eaten, but never repressed wishes. Never that.

As it always did, the anger fueled the ache, passion mingling with passion, the tension building until it drowned out every thought but the need for release. In a last ditch effort for redemption he tried to think of his wife, but he'd come too far. In this moment, only Rhett would do. In his mind now the stories were real, and he embraced it, wild and ruthless like a romance novel, chest heaving as he panted, face upturned to that rugged golden beard, those eyes hooded with lust and bottomless in their love, the pulsing heat of his body, the musky scent of his desire, the large, sturdy hands in his hair, tracing his jaw, traveling down his neck, his chest, down the length of his body...

When it was over, Link shuddered with the aftershocks of repletion, anger now extinguished in a bittersweet mingling of regret and relief. He felt Rhett's finger trail down the side of his face, lingering softly in the hollow of his throat, feeling his pulse there. Laying a gentle kiss there on Link's sweat-moistened skin. He opened his eyes, alone in the near-dark.

Climbing into bed, he kissed Christy on the cheek as she slept. "Baby girl, I love you. I really do."


	5. I Don't Need You

Link's hands gripped the wheel, jaw clenched, his eyes staring straight ahead. When Rhett climbed into the car and began making small talk, Link responded with as few syllables as he could get away with.

"Hey man," Rhett ventured, "is something wrong?"

"I'm fine, Rhett," he grumbled, keeping his eyes carefully trained on the road ahead.

"Okay, well, you don't sound fine. Did I do something?"

"God, why does it always have to be about you?!"

Rhett blinked. "I wasn't aware that it was, Link."

Link squeezed the wheel, white-knuckled, then slammed the side of it hard with his right hand. Rhett sat in bewildered silence. No one said a word for the rest of the drive, Link's eyes on the road, Rhett's watching Link cautiously from the corner of his eye. When they arrived at Mythical Entertainment, Link jumped out and slammed his door, Rhett stepping out slowly and following from a distance. The crew called out greetings as the bosses entered, Link ignoring all. Rhett waved them off silently from behind him, mouthing _"Not now!"_ He followed Link to their office, stepping through the already-shut door with a quiet warning knock. Rhett entered the room in a wide perimeter, eyes on his friend like he was a wild animal, then sat down across the room where Link could see him but wouldn't feel crowded.

"Hey man," Rhett began, "I don't know what's going on, but if there's something I need to apologize for, I'm all ears." He waited, but Link gave him no acknowledgement. "Come on, Link. Are you really going to give me the silent treatment right now? You're acting childish!"

Link felt his ears turn red in the seconds before he opened his mouth. "Childish?? Is that why you needed to hold my hand to get me through that sketch? Because I'm just the emotional, childish side-kick and you're the big, strong guy who's got his act together and who, by the way, also plays guitar and sings baritone and is the 'man's man' of this duo? Am I always the woman because I don't have a beard or a freakish height, or is it because I'm weak and you're strong and no one, including you, thinks I could pull anything off without you? You know, I could do _plenty_ on my own, Rhett. I don't need you."

Rhett swallowed hard but made no move to respond. His eyes were fixed steadily on Link's...in challenge? In pleading? Hurt? Anger? Then Rhett abruptly stood and walked out, closing the door quietly behind him. Link felt the remorse weighing on his chest like an anvil. _I didn't mean it..._

Link sighed heavily. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, the heels of his hands pressed up under his glasses and roughly into his eyes, rubbing away the tears that burned there. _Damn it, get it together and go after him!_

\---

He found Rhett sitting on the open staircase talking quietly with Stevie. The crew kept their distance; he knew he'd made a scene with his sullen entrance that morning, even if no one but Rhett had heard his outburst in their office. He stopped a few yards away, not sure how to approach with so many eyes on him, not fooling him with their nonchalance. He cleared his throat.

"Uh, hey...Rhett?"

Rhett's back was toward him, and while Stevie looked up at him immediately, Rhett casually finished what he was saying to her before turning to acknowledge him. He looked tired.

"Yes, Link?"

He cleared his throat again, unbearably self-conscious. "Could we, uh, talk for a minute? In private?"

Rhett studied him silently for a moment, and while it was probably only a few seconds, it felt like a half an hour. Gratefully, when he responded he kept his voice low enough that only those closest to them could hear. "Are we going to talk, or are you going to ignore me until you start shouting again?"

Stevie had the grace to avert her eyes, but Link still felt the tears of humiliation begin to rise back into his heated face. He blinked them back. He would not cry in front of a room full of their employees, their friends. And he wouldn't cower either. He held up his shoulders and walked steadily out of the room, out of the building, not stopping until he had made it to the driver's seat of his car and locked the doors. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the steering wheel and letting the tears fall silently down his cheeks. _What the hell is my problem? Rhett didn't do anything wrong, he just tried to help me and did a good job of it too. It's not his fault he was built bigger and stronger than me, and even though he acts tough I know he doesn't actually think he's more of a man than me. And it's definitely not his fault that I suddenly can't look at him without thinking about---_ Link jumped when he heard the knock on the passenger-side window. Rhett smiled weakly, and Link unlocked the doors to let him enter. Rhett gathered his long legs into the car and shut the door.

"Hey man," Rhett began, "I'm sorry about that, I shouldn't have chided you in front of people..."

"You're not the one who needs to apologize," Link interrupted. "I didn't mean what I said in the office. I'm an ass."

"Well, yeah, but I've always been an ass man, so I don't mind," Rhett smirked. Link laughed out loud, pulling up the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face.

"Are we okay?" Rhett asked. "Is there something we need to talk about?"

"Nah, man," Link shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm just having my period."

"Oh gosh," Rhett chuckled as they opened their car doors to head back inside. "Well, I've got extra tampons in my purse if you need any."


	6. Three Little Words

**GMM #855 : "The Disturbing Science of Love" (Song For When You Want To Say "I Love You")**

 

"I don't want to be that guy, but man, we kind of rocked that song!" Rhett said, bushy blond eyebrows raised high. "I don't think either of us missed a single note! Damn, we're good!"

Link laughed from in front of his laptop. "I've been meaning to talk to you about this inferiority complex of yours. You shouldn't beat yourself up so much!"

"All I'm saying is that we don't usually hit it so well in a live performance! It usually takes some good studio polishing to pull something like that off! We're really hitting our stride."

"Yeah," Link smiled, "we make a good team."

"We sure do, brother." Rhett came up behind Link and squeezed his shoulders, first companionably and then with unnecessary roughness.

"Ow!" Link yelped with a laugh. "Knock it off, jerk!"

"You love it!" Rhett continued to squeeze, yanking Link's shoulders back and forth a few times before releasing him. "I gotta take a crap. Don't do anything genius while I'm gone!"

"No promises," Link chuckled.

He continued to ruminate on what Rhett had said after the other man had left the room. He wasn't one to dwell excessively on his own awesomeness, but he wouldn't deny they made a good team. How else would they have gotten this far? Was it divine providence that caused them to get in trouble on the same day way back in first grade, the day they owed to everything that had happened since? What were the chances he would have connected at such a young age with someone who would be such a perfect match for him?

How do you define a relationship with so much history? Not only had he known Rhett longer than anyone but his relatives, but he spent more daylight hours with him than anyone else, even his wife. In a lot of ways he was closer to Rhett than he was to Christy. Not in all ways, of course, but what did it mean that those ways existed? What did it say about their friendship, or about his marriage?

The song they had just finished singing was still running through his head.

_"Those three little words, they're so hard to say..."_

Sometimes it's not the fear of intimacy that keeps someone from saying those three little words. Sometimes it's the fear of tearing your whole life down around your ears.

\---

**GMM #856 : "Love Potion Taste Test"**

 

"What were we thinking, man? This was a weird one."

Link chuckled softly. "Yeah. I'm not gonna lie, we're pushing the brand a little these days. It's kind of hard to experiment with arousal and keep the convo in a PG rating."

"Yeah," Rhett laughed, "I mean, 'emotion in our ocean'? It's not just emotion we're dealing with here if you know what I mean."

"Yes, Rhett, I know what you mean." Link rolled his eyes.

"Those oysters, though!" Rhett continued. "Casanova knew what he was doing! That got the blood pumping, if you know what I mean!"

"Yes, Rhett," Link laughed, feeling his cheeks warm slightly, "I get it!"

"I mean, Jessie's always a ten, but I'm ready to get home and show her what a ten she really is..."

"Oh my gosh, man. Shut up already. I don't need to hear about it!"

"What, aren't you feeling ready to get home and help Christy get in the Valentine's Day spirit?"

"I mean, yeah, but...do we have to keep talking about this?"

Rhett laughed. "I guess not, dude. But I'm just saying, the boys are going to bed on time tonight if I have anything to say about it!"

"Seriously, dude," Link muttered as he walked off toward the studio's kitchenette.

"What? What did I say?" Rhett called after him, eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Nothing. I'm getting a drink, want anything?"

"Nah, man. I think I'm filled up on milk after that habañero."

\---

Christy was sitting up against her pillow with the bedtable light switched on, reading a book, when Link came in and sat at the edge of the bed. He pulled off his socks and sat studying them absently, elbows on his knees. Christy laid her book down in her lap and watched him for a moment.

"Those socks are a riot, huh?" she said with a smile.

Link breathed a laugh through his nose as he realized what he was doing. "Huh. Yeah, I guess so."

"Something on your mind, baby?"

Link drooped a little, tossed his socks in the general direction of the hamper, pulled off his shirt, and laid back on the comforter. He opened his mouth to answer her but found he didn't have any idea where to begin. Closing her book and setting it on the bedtable, she crawled out of the covers and met him in the middle, her legs toward the head of the bed, his hanging over the foot. She propped herself up on her elbows beside him, stroking his hair back from his forehead. He began to relax beneath her touch. With eyes closed he reached up and entwined his fingers with her unoccupied hand.

"I don't know where to start."

She inclined her head to kiss his fingers where they were wrapped in hers, but she said nothing. He loved that about her. She gave him time to work it out, didn't try to put words in his mouth. His forehead creased as he wrestled with the courage to open himself up to her.

Link opened his eyes and met hers, her head silhouetted above him in the dim light. "I think you were right."

"It happens," she said cheekily. "What about?"

"Pandora's Box." He closed his eyes again, throwing his arm across his face before he could see her reaction.

"Pandora's...? Oh..."

"Yeah."

Her hand on his forehead had been displaced by his arm-blindfold, so she rested that hand on his forearm, refusing to leave him alone in this. "Okay. So the Box is open. What does that mean for you?"

Link sighed and pushed himself up, sitting cross-legged to face her, and she did the same. He took her hand again, re-entwining their fingers. "I just don't get what's in my head." He stared down at their fingers, avoiding eye contact, watching their thumbs stroke one another's skin. "He's just always been there." He risked a glance up at her face and found her eyes gently on him, not judging. Compassionate.

"What is it you want, Link? Do you know?"

"I want you!" he said without hesitation. "I always want you. But..." his eyes dropped down to their hands again, "...part of me wants him too." He felt tears prick his eyes. God, why was he always doing that?

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"No. I couldn't..."

"What do you imagine he would say if you did?"

Now there was a question. He hadn't even really considered the horrifying notion of actually talking with Rhett about how he was feeling. A million possibilities raced through his head, every one terrifying. Rhett could be disgusted -- Link would be mortified. He could be angry -- Link would be alienated. He could respond -- Link would lose Christy. He would lose everything.

"I can't imagine any scenario where that turns out well."

"Link, look at me." He kept his head dipped but raised his eyes to hers. "I want you to understand that I truly do appreciate that this is a big deal. I'm your wife, and I want your heart."

Link winced. "Christy, you have it!"

"Let me finish," she said patiently. "I know you, and I know you don't take our vows lightly. I'm not worried, not truly. But I also won't pretend that there isn't a part of me that feels threatened by your having feelings for Rhett, and I know that it's my right to feel that way. Like I said, I want your heart, and it's mine to want.

"But all that said, I trust you. And in spite of the jealousy in my heart, I trust Rhett too. Y'all are mature, grown men, despite all the goofy shenanigans you get up to together." They both allowed a smile as she continued. "You two know each other in a way I honestly can't fully understand. I've never had a friendship like the one y'all have. I can't imagine this would be a total surprise to him, but it's possible he might have a different take on it."

Link took Christy's face in both his hands, looking into her eyes for a moment before kissing her gently. "You sure you don't want to trade me in for some guy who deserves you?"

She laughed. "Nope. You're stuck with me."


	7. Like Always

**GMM #878 : "Strangest Stuff Washed Up On The Beach"**

 

_  
"Rhett and Link wear the same dress to prom."_

_Link: "*gasp* You look fabulous! How am I going to get in there with you?"_

_Rhett (slowly unbuttoning his shirt): "Well...you can start from the bottom..."  
_

* * *

When the cameras switched off, Link stood up casually, mumbling something about having work to do, and bee-lined for the office. The video game had been an adequate distraction, but he felt the walls closing in now. He was pacing their office like a caged animal when Rhett sauntered in.

"Holy shit, man, what was the deal with that strip tease??" Link half-shouted, half-laughed, trying desperately to seem amused. "What were you thinking??"

Rhett belly-laughed, head swinging back.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" Link continued, his anger beginning to drown out any attempt to feign humor. His hands were in his hair, pulling at the roots. His hands were at his sides, balled into fists, ready to punch the wall, ready to punch that smug, oblivious clown he called his best friend.

Rhett couldn't hear Link's tone over the sound of himself being hilarious. "Oh my gosh, Link, I thought I broke your brain for a second there. You just went straight into malfunction, malfunction, does not compute!"

"Rhett! Stop it! God!"

"What?" Rhett laughed. "What is your problem?"

Link's hands were extended, palms up, in desperate supplication for some semblance of an explanation.

"Rhett, why can't you just..." he trailed off, his head dropping helplessly into his palms. "Please, just..."

Rhett reached a hand out tentatively, hesitating, then rested it firmly on Link's shoulder. Not insistent, but solid. "What is it, buddy?"

The tears were starting, and Link felt the heat rush into his face, humiliated, terrified, furious, broken. He opened his mouth to say something, but whatever it would have been was lost in a cracked sob.

"God, Link..." Rhett began, not knowing how to continue. "I'm here for you, man. Just take your time. Whenever you're ready." He paused, considering. Then, making up his mind, he took a step toward Link, tugging lightly at the shoulder he held. "Come here, brother," he whispered, and pulled his friend into his chest.

Whatever resolve Link had held onto was shattered, and he dissolved into tears against Rhett's cotton shirt. It was too much. His knees buckled and he gripped the front of Rhett's shirt for support, immediately feeling strong hands come up under his elbows, then reach around his back. Rhett remained solid, faithful as always, constant and warm, comforting and without judgment. He was just there. Like always.

When the wracking sobs gave way to sniffles, Link pulled back slightly, keeping his head down, not willing to meet Rhett's eyes. Rhett returned one hand firmly to Link's elbow. "Let's sit down, huh?" Link nodded weakly and allowed himself to be escorted to the couch. Rhett kept his hand in place until Link was seated and apparently comfortable, then sat sideways, facing his friend, his right knee touching Link's left. No words. Just there. Like always.

Link took a shuddering breath as he tried to steady himself. He pulled up the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face, and Rhett hopped up to grab him a kleenex, handing it to him. Link laughed self-consciously. "Thanks."

"No problem, buddy." Rhett returned to his previous position on the couch, resuming knee-contact, tentatively extending his right hand to cover Link's knee. He moved his thumb in small circles, watching Link carefully to evaluate whether or not his actions offered comfort. Link peeked a swollen eye at him and the corner of his mouth edged up in thanks. They took a breath in unison then chuckled together softly.

"Rhett," Link began, "do you ever wonder...do you ever think about what the fans say?"

Rhett hesitated, wanting to be sure he understood the question before he answered. "You mean...about...us?" Link shrugged a shoulder and nodded, dipping his head slightly. "Sure I do, man. I mean, we can't post a video without the comment section flooding with shippers."

Link squirmed uncomfortably. "But...what do you... _think_...about it..."

Rhett paused to read his friend. He squinted, cocked his head, really looked at him.

"Link, you know how you can wrestle with the question of whether you love your wife or your kids more? And then you realize you just love them differently?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Link responded, not exactly sure where he was going with this.

"It's like this. I love Jessie with my whole heart. She's bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, united, body and soul. She's the love of my life. Then Locke comes along, and it's completely different. He's literally part of me in this mind-blowing, existential miracle of parenthood. He had my heart instantly. And when Jessie was pregnant with Shepherd, I was a little freaked out at first, you know, because I just loved Locke so completely, I wondered how I could possibly love another kid as much as that. And then when he was born, it felt like...like I grew a new heart, just for him. And so there's no question about whom I love most. They are all all of me. I love them all with all of me. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah..." Link lied.

Rhett sighed, squeezing Link's knee, and smiled as he looked his friend squarely in the eye.

"You're like that, Link. I have...I have loved you for so long I don't remember life without loving you. You are a fact of my existence. You are all of me, and I love you with all of me. Don't you get that?" Link blinked in response, speechless at the force of his words. Rhett continued, his voice clipped in its urgency. "It's never mattered to me what anyone says or thinks about us. We are what we are. You're in my soul, Link. Whatever that means, it doesn't matter. I just know that it's true."

Link stared at him, still speechless. They held each other's gaze, companionably silent, soaking in the words as they held in the air. Then Link shook his head disbelievingly, running a hand through his hair, and looked away. "Gosh, Rhett. I don't..." He sighed, then met his friend's eyes again. "Thank you."

"For what? For telling the truth? Come here." The two men scooted closer together on the couch, knees overlapping, and wrapped themselves into a tight embrace. After a minute, Rhett pulled back just enough to look into Link's eyes and plant his hands on his shoulders. "Is this good enough for you, buddy? I mean that seriously. I need to know what you need from me."

Link searched Rhett's eyes for insincerity, for anything that he should take as his cue to hold back. He saw only warmth and openness and steadiness. Like always. Slowly, as if he were extending his hand to a deer, he raised his hands to the edges of Rhett's jaw, thumbs stroking his beard. "I just need to know. Just once." He continued to search Rhett's eyes, seeing comprehension but neither fear nor revulsion, so he inched forward, eyes still searching as their lips met. Can a kiss be passionate and not erotic? Can it be infinitely meaningful without tipping the scales? They closed their eyes to take in the moment, just long enough to search out this sensation to its end, to find what could be hidden there. Their breath mingled, heartbeats in rhythm, mouths in motion as they drew out an answer to the question. As their lips parted their foreheads met, pressed together, eyes still closed.

"Thank you," Link whispered. "I have everything I need."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for kudos-ing, commenting, and subscribing!  
> You know what time it is!


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